We are The Stain Removal Scientists

Marc Tanner told me the other day that, "we are the scientists here"!  I have been writing about looking at the grinding and polishing technology of the optics industry.  My idea was to use this same technology in restoring window glass surfaces. Whether we are removing hard water stains or scratches it should be possible to accomplish this more efficiently by researching a field that has been practicing this for many decades.  But after another forty five minute chat with Marc I realized this is not a perfect plan.  In fact we are going to have to figure it out ourselves. Here is why.

Every glass surface is different.  It is different especially in hardness.  Different in compression strength.  Different in chemistry.  So the tools we use to grind and polish all of these different surfaces must be different also.  Then we have the deposits.  These are also different.  Each has a different chemistry.  The amount of damage each has done to the glass surface is different too.  Some mineral deposits will literally eat deep into the glass.  Some are rather light and just lie on top. Such are easy to remove with a light cerium polish.  But heavier deposits must be first removed with a grinding process.  The product of choice by the gurus within our midst is based on silicon carbide or SiC. Even some of the commercial stain removal systems for sale use this abrasive.  There are however complications to this step.

First the grinding step MUST be done without leaving any "waves" in the surface.  Cuz it doesn't matter whether you are removing scratches or heavy stains, you will need to remove glass.  When you do this wavy glass can result.  Which is very visible from twenty to a hundred feet away.  Next the product used cannot leave swirls of scratches.  I definitely have not given up my idea of using diamonds.  Hey.  I made ten grand one time using diamond compound to remove silicate stains. By hand with Bounty paper towels.  NOT with a machine. Machines tend to leave swirl marks.  Whether the product of choice is diamond or silicon carbide.  SO.  This brings me to the next complication.  When removing heavy stains by a silicon carbide based grinding process we must use a product that will leave the most smooth surface possible.  The reason being is so that the final polishing step using cerium oxide can be accomplished as quickly and efficiently as possible.  

Obtaining a quality surface by grinding is not an easy one. There are so many different silicon carbide based products out there.  The gurus use a coated SiC paper.  Yet finding the correct paper is not easy if not virtually impossible.  Just look at the SiC particle.  There are well over two hundred different polytypes of SiC. These are of several different shapes.  They also have other different properties.  Then there is the resin holding the particles to the paper.  Sometimes the wrong resin will yield completely different results.  Same particle, different coating resin, different results.  If you ask the manufacturer about the chemistry of the resin you will not get a good answer. This is considered an industry secret.  That is how important the resin is.

Polishing glass with cerium oxide is also a rather complicated process.  Even if you are just removing light stains.  Not to mention removing a SiC haze from grinding.  It is first critically important to ensure that the glass is as clean as possible.  No amount of oil should be present.  That is because cerium works by both a physical and a chemical process.  The chemical process uses water.  Oil repels water.  Some other factors to consider are temperature, pH of the solution, and the concentration of cerium oxide in the water.  It is also important to use the correct pad.  Also care should be taken to keep the cerium from building up one the pad otherwise the pad will just skim over the surface and not "cut".  The RPMs of the pad are critical to maintaining good contact and keeping the temperature down to around eighty degrees.  A hand held laser temperature gauge is real handy to constantly monitor the surface.  Here is the video demonstrating my Wobble Wheel and the use of a slow release cerium pad.

Next couple all of this with the talent factor.  I liken this to using a squeegee.  I have trained many people over the last thirty five years.  Most take months to "get it".  But once in awhile someone will just pick it up and go at it.  They have a natural talent.  The same is true for grinding and polishing flat glass surfaces.

When you blend talent and science the result is inexplicable. But that's where it's at.  I completely agree with Marc that we are the scientists here.  So I will continue to focus on the science. As we continue to make advancement you will learn about it here on this blog.

Written by Henry Grover Jr.
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The Technology of Surface Repair using Superabrasives

The dictionary defines technology as the practical application of knowledge especially in a particular area.  That practical application first requires an understanding of the characteristics of the superabrasive particle used.  It also demands an understanding of the characteristics of the surface you are working on.  Not to be left out is an understanding of the properties of the medium that carries the particle.  As well as the material of the pad/interface that works the surface with the superabrasive particles.  So you see, scratch and stain removal is not as simple as most people or manufacturers of stain removal systems/products make it out to be.  It is rather unfortunate that these manufacturers have not taken more time to research the practical application of this knowledge.

As I  discussed in "The Particle Zoo" there are a great number of different particles with a wide array of different properties. But I said nothing about the actual surface that we as Glass Restoration experts are working on.  Neither did I say anything about the carrier for the particle.  Which is just as important or at times even more important than the particle itself.  For example does it really matter which liquid suspension is used for loose particles?  Or what about the physical properties of the resin that holds the particle to the polishing film?  What of the lubricant used for the glass surface?  What of the properties of the pad material used to form the working interface for the compound?  There is so much to consider.

Both scratch and stain removal involves removal of glass. Simply put!  It cannot be done otherwise. If the scratches or stain is light than it is rather easy to remove them using an optical cerium oxide.  Although as I have explained here there is still a technology involved in doing this correctly.  It is also quite easy to damage the glass surface when removing light scratches and stains.  Now if the scratches are deep, or the stain is rather difficult, more glass will need to be removed.  Then the glass will first have to go through a one or two step grinding process.  After this it will have to go through a third step where it will need to be polished to near perfection. The best system will do it quick, not create problems along the way, and finish with the highest quality surface.  If you can stand back twenty feet and see absolutely no abrasion haze or waviness in the direct sun, then you have a perfect repair.  Very bright LED lighting is another powerful test method.

I have recently met people who have developed systems to restore glass surfaces which are better than many commercial products out there.  The technology used is in fact what I call counter-intuitive.  Which quite plainly demonstrates that there is still much more to learn.   This is the focus and gist of my consulting.

Please take a look at my Wobble Wheel video.  This is the first step in stain removal done at a slow pace with a cerium based slow release pad.  This is for a one step only polishing method. If the stains do not come out with this technique then it will be necessary to go to a grinding process.  Much more of the glass surface will need to be removed, and then brought back to optical specs.

Written by Henry Grover Jr.
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Stain Removal Lawsuits

The first lawsuit that can happen is from the use of glass etchants or acids that will directly attack the surface of window glass.  This can show up as various clear distortions of the glass. Or a patchy white cloudiness covering the window.  You will also be able to feel a roughness when an etchant has been used. The new surface is now more likely to attract water vapor and so will tend to fog over in the early morning.  The home owner will notice any of these conditions.  One other condition involves scratch accents.  If a window has been lightly scratched at a prior time, removing the newly formed stains with an acid will also reveal and magnify such scratches fifty times over.  Of course the owner will not understand where they came from and so will blame the Window Cleaner.

Second, using crude abrasives either in a commercial product or from an abrasives supplier.  These can create an abrasion haze which can be easily seen in the direct sun from a distance of a hundred feet or even up close.  Greater depth scratches can be created from the wrong polishing technique or pad.  In an attempt to remove stains quickly very crude or aggressive pads have been used.  These can easily cause serious damage to the surface.

Mild silicate staining can be easily remedied by using a cerium oxide with a flat polishing technique. However very difficult stains must be removed using at least a two step procedure. This requires a great deal of skill and especially the correct pads.  The first step must be performed with something other than a cerium.  But not dry.  Then finished with a cerium wet. Most people would see the pad that was used first as a simple sanding method.  But the fact is that it is way more.  There is a technology here that only a few have guessed at.  And even less understand it.  The reason very obviously is simply that the glass  restoration industry is still very much in its infancy. 

We don't need to do any more damage then what hard water has already accomplished.  And we certainly don't want to incur any lawsuits.  So we should pay more attention to advancing the technology of engineering precision surfaces.  By means of various polishing procedures using slow release pads, coated superabrasive films, and various high tech lubricants to flush the surface of any glass dust that might agglomerate creating errant scratches.  Such lubricants also keep the working surface cool to the touch.  

This is not just my opinion.  It is the essence of the polishing technology used by the optics industry for creating lenses, mirrors, and fiber optics.  And has been for many years.  We are merely following in that wake.

Written by Henry Grover Jr.
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Collaborating with Marc Tanner

Those of you who know Marc are already familiar with his genius.  I don't have to say anything to you.  This post is for those in our company who haven't heard of him yet.  But you will!  If I have anything to do with it.
I met him over Facebook.  It was mentioned in a thread on one of the Window Cleaning Groups that I meet him.  I ended up meeting him on a Facebook chat.  Which resulted in one of the most interesting experiences I have ever had.  Since then we have had two very long phone conversations about the technology of stain removal.  The details of which will be kept very secret until sometime in the near future.  If you know me you know how difficult this is going to be.  I love show and tell. But please believe me it is to everyone's benefit.
There are very great things coming down the tube.  We are both in collaboration with someone else.  And;...we are pulling in other players that no one in the window cleaning industry knows about.  Despite some pretty innovative products and systems the technology of glass restoration is still in its infancy. Marc and I together are going to take it to the next level.  But we are not going to stop there.  Because we will never be satisfied with any product or system.  We will continue to advance.

I cannot begin to tell everyone how ecstatic I am to have met Marc.  This is going to be a very enjoyable journey.  

Written by Henry Grover Jr.
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The Future of Stain Removal

The key to winning a 50,000 dollar stain removal contract lies in being able to guarantee the results for at least five years or more!  And the only way this can be done is to apply a glass sealant (after removing the stains) that is very resistant to alkali attack.  Then you must also have the means to very quickly remove any newly formed hard water spots as you routinely clean the windows. But without removing or damaging the sealant.  Even replenishing the sealant as you clean.  So that your routine cleaning becomes a three step stain removal, replenishing, and cleaning procedure.  All performed simultaneously.  This must be done as close to the original routine cleaning price as possible.  But the most important consideration is that you will have the everlasting solution to the problem.  This will help to ensure that you keep the contract.

The first step requires locating an alkali resistant sealant.  You can chose a hydrophobic or hydrophylic treatment.  The very nature of hydrophobic sealants presents a problem in that they create water drops.  Drops leave spots.  Which are concentrated mineral deposits.  As each new drop forms on top of old spots, the pH of the evaporating drop continues to increase with each rain or sprinkler cycle.  Ultimately as the spots age they can potentially eat into the sealant and lock onto the silicon dioxide surface.  Logically then the better choice would be a hydrophylic sealant.  Or at least one with a much lower contact angle such that rain will sheet off instead of forming tight drops.  It would be best too if such a hydrophylic coating/sealant were also very resistant to alkali attack.

Removing newly formed mineral deposits from such a surface without doing damage to that surface is possible using a compositional scrub.  That is abrasives that are soft enough to not remove the hydrophylic coating but aggresive enough to remove any mineral deposits which have formed on top of that coating.  I discovered very early on that it is possible to use four zero steel wool to remove newly formed aluminum screen burn on a Rain X surface without doing harm to this hydrophobic sealant.  In fact as you start to scrub your cleaning water will begin to bead as you break through the new stains. Revealing the hydrophobic polymer underneath those stains.  Which has not been damaged by time or your scrubbing technique.

It should be possible to periodically restore, treat, and clean by applying the fluid/chemical with a compositional scrub based applicator. Then wipe dry using a squeegee.  Periodically you can check the surface by hitting it with a small stream of pure water.  It should sheet off leaving very clean glass. Good for a Water Fed Pole maintenance. 

At the time of this writing most of this information is quite theoretical, experimental, and controversial.  But it seams to me to be the most logical course to take to solve stained window problems.  I am in discussion with various companies and chemists that specialize in this technology.  So we will see what the Future holds.  This is one for you Perry!

Written by Henry Grover Jr.
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Polishing Glass;...RPM verses FPM

Speed, speed, speed!!!  600, 1500, 3000, 5000, or even 10000 RPMs?  How many RPMs do we need to use?  RPM stands for Revolutions Per Minute.  Did you know that the optics industry uses FPM? This stands for Feet Per Minute.  If you took a point on the outer edge of a rotating disk how many feet would it travel?  If your disk was six inches and it was spinning at 1000 RPMs, that point would be traveling at 1571 FPM.  What if your disk were 3 inches in diameter and also traveling at 1000 RPMs? Then a point at the outer edge would be traveling at 785 FPM.  Half as fast!  What if you were polishing glass with a half inch Dremel bob moving at 10000 RPMs?  That would be 2618 FPM.  This is ten times the RPMs of the six inch disk, but only 1047 FPM more.  I think you get my point.  FPM is a more accurate definition of the "speed" of a polishing disk.  This is also the reason why I have chosen to use a ring/pad to polish glass.  There is a much less variance of speed between the outer and inner edge of a pad that is only one inch or less wide.  In fact there is less of a variance the larger the pad/ring.  There is also less of a variance the thinner the ring.  So a one half inch wide ring would have less of a variance of the FPM of the outer edge and inner edge, then the variance of the outer and inner edge of a one inch wide ring.  This is important if the precise "speed" of the ring is critical to the performance of the polishing system. Most of the time it does.

Written by Henry Grover Jr.
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Slow Release Pads

The first prototype has been created.  And has been demonstrated in the video shown here.  You can see the orange cerium oxide.  It has been loaded into a special polymeric matrix that breaks down slowly by simple soapy water.  So that when polishing hard water stains from windows this can be done quickly with no mess.  All you need to do is reapply soapy water when it starts to dry out.  To check your progress as you go just squeegee a dry area and check for clarity.  When done just soap and squeegee the entire window. There should be little to no overspray or rundown to clean up after.  This dramatically reduces the time it takes to "clear" a window. Further you will only use exactly the amount of cerium that you need.  This will reduce your cost.

The first SR pads that come out will be based on a high quality optical grade cerium oxide.  But this technology will allow me to develop other pads in the future that will offer additional benefits. Cerium is not the only superabrasive out there. Diamond superabrasives have been used in optics polishing for many years.  I have written about diamond restoration already in this blog.  Different superabrasives can also be blended for better performance.  Remember my post "The Particle Zoo"?Likewise it is possible to build SR pads based on softer compositional abrasives for quickly removing silicone caulk that has been shmeared all over every square inch of every window.

If you would like to get on as a Beta Tester to purchase any prototype products developed just send me an email.

Written by Henry Grover Jr.
henrygroverjr@gmail.com

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Wobble Wheel Ergonomics

Ergonomics is the new buzz word these days.  Especially with Perrys Power and Control WFP handles as of recent.  Perry Taits Future of Cleaning is already a revolutionary company in so many ways.  Well I would like to introduce a new wordage.  That being gyroscopic precession.  GP is a wonderful and amazing property of anything that spins.  Including the Wobble Wheel Glass Polishing System.  Lets see why.

The gyroscopic precession of the Wobble Wheel is seriously increased by the six large holes evenly placed around the center universal joint.  It is also increased by moving the polishing material or lap out to the edge or rim of the wheel. In so doing the wheel takes on an antigravity effect.  So the wheel takes on a weightlessness.  When working with tools light is good!  Very ergonomic.

Another ergonomic feature involves the fact that the Wobble remains totally flat on the glass at all times.  It does not tend to grab the window forcing the operator to wrestle with the tool the whole time.  This dramatically reduces physical stress which is definitely ergonomic.  In the six inch Wobble Wheel video my friend demonstrates this effect by easily working the wheel at full speed with a single hand!

So if you are looking for a way to polish glass effortlessly;...the Wobble Wheel is the way to go.  I am currently working with a manufacturer to bring it to market in kit form.

Written by Henry Grover Jr.

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Wobble Wheel Maximizes AntiGravity Effect

My six inch Wobble Wheel that I have developed for polishing flat glass surfaces has a gyroscopic nature.  This is simply because it is a wheel and it spins between 1200 and 2000 RPMs. Any wheel that spins has a gyroscopic effect.  Which means that any spinning wheel also has gyroscopic precession.  Which appears to be a kind of antigravity.  If you would like to see what I am talking about check out this video. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GeyDf4ooPdo  Just copy paste it into your browser if it doesn't click for you.  It is definitely way too cool!  Nonetheless this effect does make it easier to work with wheels that have less weight and greater gyroscopic precession.  To accomplish this it is necessary to transfer most of the weight to the outer edge.  Which I have done by designing the aluminum base with six large holes.  The polishing pad is also a simple ring.  Because of these two innovations most of the weight has been moved to the outer rim.  So the gyroscopic precession has been increased, including what appears to be also;...an 'antigravity effect'.

Does this interest you?  Would you like to own your own antigravity Wobble Wheel?  Just send me an email henrygroverjr@gmail.com

Written by Henry Grover Jr.

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Hack Your Own Product

Twenty years ago I had a kitchen/lab with about 2,500 acids, alkalies, solvents, powders, polymers, wiping cloths, and more. My stainless steel sink was VERY badly stained.  I am surprised my landlord didn't make me replace it when I got married and moved out.  Those were the days.  There were things I came up with then that I never wrote down.  Things that might be viable commercial products today.  I also discovered so many things by pure accident.  Like the tests I developed for abrasive and chemical damage to glass surfaces. And the crazing and hazing affects on acrylic and polycarbonate.  I stayed up late working on stuff I can't even remember now.  I was a regular at the local glass shop constantly buying brand new window glass and mirror.  Only to bring it home and waste it with chemicals and abrasives.  I had Window Cleaners send me pieces of windows taken from buildings they were working on so I could come up with the best way to fix the surface damage.  I had pieces of windows taken from some very famous buildings.  Which had pyrolytic coatings that had been "invisibly" damaged by certain acids. So much fun!

What I want to do now is make many of these ingredients available to you.  I am now involved in product development. Some of my products will be coming to market soon.  Only because I am now working with a manufacturer who is a very dynamic man that wants to help in a large way.  But I want to give you the chance to join in the fun.  Come go with me as the old timers down in South Carolina used to say.  But I literally mean it!

So send me an email.  Don't just read these posts.  Get involved too.  Tell me what you are thinking about.  Lets talk.

Written by Henry Grover Jr.
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Superhydrophobic Window Cleaning

The difference between superhydrophobic and hydrophobic is like night and day.  The Water Fed Pole experts among us look down on hydrophobic surfaces with much disdain.  And for good reason. As much as they try, these surfaces still cling to water leaving millions of very fine water drops. Which can leave deposits if the rinse water does not have an ultra low TDS, or is contaminated by something else.  Because of this they are more in favor of hydrophylic glass which is water loving.  This causes water to come together in large sheets and run off the glass slowly taking all of these little drops with it. But even this surface is not truly hydrophylic. In reality it is a blend of both hydrophylic and hydrophobic.  You see the water loving/hating properties of all glass surfaces is measured by the contact angle or the CA.  Getting that right for a water fed pole is a bit tricky.  Not that it can't be done.  Using the right chemistry and technique it should be quite possible.  But consider the advantages of a truly "super" hydrophobic surface.  I want to draw attention to this technology because recently there has been more progress in building this animal.

A man called Chunlei Guo professor of optics at the University of Rochester has developed a superhydrophobic surface on metals using a fempto-second laser.  Such a device it is claimed is capable of creating the heat power equal to the wattage of the entire North American power grid.  Using this type of laser Chunlei Guo has been able to create a unique pattern of micro and nanoscopic structures on metal that are intrinsically part of the metal surface.  This process is quite different from those in use today that rely on chemistry.  This is rather physical optics.  The superhydrophobic effects of a laser etched metal surface are much more enhanced then those of a chemically treated metal surface.  This type of surface is also not subject to "wearing off" since it truly is a part of the metal  In fact it IS that metal.  It is a reshaping of that metal surface.  So it is far less likely to degrade over time.

Since the contact angle (CA) of this type of surface is at least 150 degrees, if you were to use a water fed pole to clean it you would not have to be concerned about leaving little drops of water behind.  First there shouldn't be much dirt on it to begin with because superhydrophobic surfaces are considered self cleaning.  If you were to clean with a WFP it would not take very long.  It should happen at lightning speed.

Implementing this technology on metals is quite acceptable. But using it on glass is not.  At least not at this time from what I have read.  The problem lies in the need to create a double pattern on the glass surface.  The first pattern laid down is microscopic.  The second is nanoscopic.  This unique double pattern is what produces the superhydrophobic effect.  In fact, the pattern is critically necessary to create a superhydrophobic surface with a contact angle in excess of 150 degrees. HOWEVER.   It also interferes with incident light.  That is any visible light striking the surface is scattered in such a way as to produce a kind of haze, or translucence.  No one wants their windows to be translucent unless they ordered them that way! They want them to be transparent.  Or as we put it, crystal clear. 

I don't doubt that someday soon someone will develop a superhydrophobic surface with a contact angle (CA) of 150 degrees for transparent window glass.  But it will have to be transparent, and relative inexpensive.  I haven't mentioned many of the benefits of such a surface.  But there are many. Especially for window glass.  To make my point all I have to do is reference a project going on right now in Israel.  Where a million square feet of glass are being treated with a product called Enduroshield.  This is a chemical hydrophobic coating. The suggested application cost is around three bux per square foot.  The cost to the contractor is about fifty cents per square foot.  Even if those figures are somewhat inaccurate, I think you would still agree that the end cost to the owner will still be quite high.  That cost must match the level of perceived value. So what do you think?  Is there a market for superhydrophobic window glass?

Written by Henry Grover Jr.
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Mirrors Are an Opportunity!

So many businesses have them!  Jewelry shops, restaurants, hair salons, motels and hotels, drug stores, gyms, and dance studios.  Ask anyone how much they enjoy cleaning them and you will NOT get a favorable response.  That is because they usually are large area mirrors.  Some might be in the direct sun.  Further no one knows how to clean mirrors with a squeegee.  But did you know they can be easily cleaned without a squeegee using a solution of H2O2?  The idea is to first clean them with a squeegee using a cleaner loaded with a hydrophobic organosilane.  This creates a water hating surface in no more time than it takes to simply clean with our tradition tools.  Then once the glass has been treated they can be cleaned with a solution of H2O2 (hydrogen peroxide) and a huck towel. The cleaning takes place with a swivel applicator and the cleaning solution.  Then they are wiped dry with a huck towel on a flat tool connected to a pole with a universal joint.  In the janitorial world this is called a doodle bug.  In the paint world it is a wall sander.  In our industry Wiljer Textiles has some quality flat tools.  But of course the Reach It Pole is the best for any type of outside or inside work involving high windows, mirrors, or partition glass.

Now we can get creative.  Since this new surface will not be subject to the UVC radiation from the sun or alkali attack from concrete or hard water spots;...it should last a long time. Probably years. But you could offer to come in and "treat" the mirrors as you clean them once every three months. Then the employees could maintain them using hydrogen peroxide.  It could be all they need to do is add a bottle of 3 percent hydrogen peroxide from the drug store in a gallon of pure distilled water.  Sell them a Swivel applicator with a Wiljer sleeve and a pole.  Then show them how to use a huck towel on a flat tool.  Or they could just wipe dry by hand using a huck towel.  This entire process could be demonstrated at no cost. Of course they won't be able to apply the organosilane themselves. Only we possess the chemical and know how to apply it.

Another opportunity might exist in first doing the demonstration.  Then offering to set up the mirrors for free once only.  In exchange for the window cleaning/maintenance contract.  If there is a need to reapply in the future then you would price the mirrors.  Another idea would be to just offer to clean the mirrors on a regular basis like you would the windows.  You might even have some mirrors already on your route.  Your customers might be waiting to have you give them a quote.

If you are creative I am sure you will come up with some other variations on this plan.  I would certainly never apply a glass treatment to the inside of window glass.  Because it would promote a filming effect.  Yet mirrors, or railing/partition glass would work fine.  The bottom line here is there is an opportunity just waiting to be explored.

If you would like to get into this sideline just send me an email.

Written by Henry Grover Jr.
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Cleaning Glass with Sodium Metasilicate

Otherwise known as "water glass".  It is usually sold as a TSP substitute.  A 100% pure product from the hardware store or a paint supply shop comes as white crystals, and looks like table salt.  But the reality is, it is a VERY powerful alkali!  When cleaning with it I will usually only add a teaspoon to four gallons of water.  Then I will add a synthetic detergent like Dawn since syn-dets tend to keep it from leaving deposits. Dawn has not more than one percent sodium hydroxide. Which is also a powerful alkali.  I wrote a post about this chemical also.  When SMS is used without a soap such as Dawn it has the tendency to leave a residue on the glass that is difficult to remove.  The spots left behind are also difficult to remove.  This is because they are in effect what I like to call artificial water spots.  Or mineral deposits.  They are sodium silicate deposits which are very similar to the chemistry of glass.  Of course such stains are relatively easy to remove with a little rubbing using a silica based compound or cerium oxide in water.

As a cleaner SMS is very powerful at removing even years of organic film.  Such as car exhaust on aluminum window frames at gas stations.  But I always suggest using rubber gloves since it will dry out your skin or worse.  When used at higher concentrations it will remove screen burn from window glass.   But again use extreme caution.  Never let it get on your skin or in your eyes.

One more word on using SMS to remove screen burn.  I will mix it with water at about a 5 to 10 percent solution in water. Then I will add about 10 percent silica powder.  This is an experimental product that I can sell to you at 20 dollars per pound including shipping.  Further I will use four zero steel wool.  This is a VERY powerful combination for removing even the worst screen burn.  Just remember to use extreme caution. One more word of caution.  I suggest looking up the MSDS on silica powder.  The dangers are greatly reduced when it is used in a liquid form.  In other words when it is put in water.  But you should never use it dry since you could breath it in.  This type of repeated exposure can cause silicosis which is cancer causing.

Written by Henry Grover Jr.
henrygroverjr@gmail.com

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Glass Treatments Can Cause a Filming Effect

OK.  Which glass treatment do you prefer to use to create an "Easy Clean" glass surface?  There have been probably a hundred different products brought to market over the last forty years!  So we have had lots of time to treat lots of glass. Yet they can all be divided into two different categories. Hydrophobic (water hating), and hydrophylic (water loving).   Hydrophobic surfaces which cause water to bead up are great if you intend on cleaning with a microfiber cloth by hand or with a pad on a pole.  Just wet with an applicator then wipe dry.  If you use a solution that is not based on any detergents, you will get a crystal clear result.  But.  If you intend on cleaning with a water fed pole then your answer lies in a hydrophylic coating or glass treatment.  When such a water loving treatment is applied to the outside of a window the rinse water from a water fed pole will tend to sheet out and then come together again running off the glass completely.  Leaving very few drops of water behind.  Which could leave spots depending on the quality of your rinse water.  So the less drops the less spotting. 

There is absolutely a market for both of these two different treatments.  Which are also called nano coats.  They are usually only a few molecules deep.  However they are all subject to a very interesting effect that I have yet to see addressed in any article.  Which effect can be seen on either side of a window.  If you are applying a hydrophobe to the outside simply know that in the summer time the outside might develop a film.  That is if the building has good central air conditioning.  This film that I mention is a condensation of microscopic airborne particulates and or gaseous fumes.  It always develops on the warmer side. Any type of thin film on glass enhances this effect.  It is the reason why the inside of restaurant and garage windows always become more filmy in the cold months when you use a detergent based cleaning solution.  This effect is also true if you were to apply a hydrophylic (water loving) coating to the inside. In the colder months especially such a glass treatment will cause a film to develop in a matter of days.  Now this is not so much of a problem if the building has double paned insulating glass units. Because the inside lite will not be as cold.  But if it has only single paned windows look out.  Because this film can develop in a matter of only a single week.  Of course it can be removed every time you clean the windows.  But if the customer notices it as a "new thing", then you might be asked to "fix" the "problem".  On the bright side mirrors are almost always exclusive to this effect.  They are fixed to the wall with a one quarter inch air space behind them for circulation.  As a result the glass on both sides is identical to the ambient temperature of the room.

Written by Henry Grover Jr.
henrygroverjr@gmail.com

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Selling Aftermarket Glass Treatments

Glass treatments are professional applications of thin film chemicals at ambient temperature.  They usually are only a couple of molecules deep.  If the polymers form a covalent bond with the oxygen atoms at the surface of the glass, the treatment is said to be "part of" the glass.  Some of these companies are very emphatic about not using the terms sealant and coating. They also tend to focus on their claim that their product has been tested by many independant labs which specialize in such analytical work.  They will elucidate at length about the applications of their products, and mention various well known buildings that have been treated.  I can think of one company in particular that has a patent on their technology which claims to use two different chemical treatments.  The first one which is only about a couple polymers deep forms a covalent bond with the oxygens at the surface of the glass.  Then they have a second 'different' polymer that is chemically bonded to the first.  This patented technology is supposed to give their proprietary treatment/product superior longevity and resistance to UVC and alkali attack.  They also have reports of independent tests that they can provide to anyone who asks which prove beyond doubt that their technology and product is the absolute best. Their are other companies yet that will just simply state that their product has been around for years, and is very well established in the marketplace.  They will focus on this fact not even getting into any independent tests or alternate patented technology.  Further;..,there are even more companies that have copied these companies in creating products that can be used not just on glass, but metal, plastic, and other surfaces too. Some of them are OK.  But others are not.  Their effects last for only a few days.  They certainly do not form covalent bonds since they are not "surface specific".  Their are those products too which are applied to glass in the float glass factory when the glass is manufactured.  I have been told these are pyrolytically bonded to the glass and are in fact truly permanent.  Just the other day I was cleaning windows at my Glass Shop and overheard a sales pitch regarding a brand new shower door enclosure.  To wrap it up the salesperson said, "And I also seriously suggest using a glass that has a stain resistant factory treatment".  If you are a professional applicator of aftermarket glass treatments you will have a difficult time getting in the front door when marketing to the glass world.  Since they have been brainwashed already to believe that the treated glass they get from glass manufacturers like Guardian is the absolute best, and there is nothing that you could provide that could even come close to that quality.

So what do we do?  The very first thing is to focus on aftermarket glass.  Don't even get into any discussions with the glass world about the actual quality of various treatments and technologies used on new glass.  But rather just focus on your own knowledge of this field, and your expertise in the application of the right treatment for the desired effect.  Which effect might be stain resistance, scratch resistance, an easy clean surface, hydrophobicity, or hydrophylicity.  Give a guarantee, and a price.  Do not discuss the name of the product you will be using.  Nor discuss the actual process that you will be using.  The technology that you use is proprietary, and there is no need for you to discuss it in detail with anyone.  It would be good at this point however to discuss the different benefits of glass treatments.  This can be done verbally at the moment.  It can also be done with a flyer or info-letter.

Your guarantee should be specific to the desired effect of the treatment and what the application will be.  Is the customer mostly concerned with exterior scratch resistance?  Are they in search of a treatment to make cleaning interior shower glass enclosures much easier?  Are they looking for an easy clean treatment for the exterior using a water fed pole?  Or do they want an exterior easy clean treatment where the glass will be wiped with a micro fiber towel?  Are they in search of a treatment that will make removing hard water deposits that are being caused by  a sprinkler system or efflorescence of the exterior building facade much easier over the months and years to come?  All of these different applications require different treatments/products, and different application techniques. Some applications will even demand a different guarantee, or no guarantee at all!  I don't think any manufacturer of a glass treatment/product will tell you anything that I have written in this paragraph. But it is all very true.  

Before you get into this niche business it is necessary to become familiar with the different products that are currently on the market.  You should also become familiar with some very "grassroots tests" that will tell you what you need to know about which application you are looking at.  There will be new treatments/products that will continue to hit the market.  Some will come along as a franchise, some as a professional product at a higher than normal cost, and some as a retail item available at a Lowes or Home Depot.  You need to be ready to test out these new products so you can add them to your company list of chemical tools.  You wouldn't use the same window cleaning tools on every window.  So why should you use the same glass treatment tool for every application/job.

Written by Henry Grover Jr.

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